When law enforcement suspects that a person is in possession of contraband, a stolen item, or some other type of illegal substance/item, they will often obtain a search warrant to find that item. In North Carolina, a search warrant is defined as, “a court order and process directing a law enforcement officer to search designated premises, vehicles, or persons.” This definition gives potential for a location, vehicle, or even persons being subject to a search. Most commonly, search warrants are for places like homes, vehicles, etc. It is not as common for a search warrant to be executed for the search of an individual person.

One of the fundamental rights that American citizens have is the right to privacy. We have the right to feel secure in our person and be free from unreasonable searches and seizures and government intrusions. The Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution grants us this right. The crux of the Fourth Amendment is providing protection from the police, or other governmental institutions, from searching you or your belongings without the proper justification. The American judicial system has a whole host of cases dealing with exactly how far the right to privacy extends.

Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Brad Smith answers the question: “When can I post on Social media about my ongoing case?”

It likely comes as no surprise to most people that the things they post online, particularly on the big social media sites, are seldom kept private for long. As users become savvier, they have learned that details once put on the internet seldom disappear. People may also understand that the tech companies behind these popular social media sites cooperate with prosecutors in criminal cases and will even share information with the government, provided they receive a valid court order or search warrant. What many may not understand is that the digital details shared with prosecutors are not similarly available to defense attorneys, leading to an often-troubling disparity in information.